Washington is Listening!
CMS, the Washington-based Centers for Medicaid Services has announced a telephonic “listening session” will be held tomorrow, Wednesday August 28, from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. The unprecedented session, scheduled in response to requests by the New Mexico Congressional Delegation, invites testimony from behavioral health providers, families and clients directly affected by the shutdowns of New Mexico behavioral health agencies and their takeover by Arizona firms.
Call: 1-877-267-1577. Then enter Meeting ID #: 991 002 456. (If you are prompted for a second code, ignore it. You only need the first.)
CMS representatives will be joined by officials of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), and the New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative. CMS has also stated it is sending representatives from Washington to New Mexico in early September to conduct private interviews statewide with providers and clients. Numerous accounts of negative experiences arising from the shutdown and transitions have been forwarded to CMS, and the agency requests that any additional stories be sent to them before they arrive in September.
In the meantime, A MARCH FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH will take place on Friday, August 30th in Santa Fe at 9:00 am starting at the PERA building at 1120 Paseo de Peralta. Suggested arrival time is 8:45am. Several prominent legislators and state health experts will appear. The general public is urged to participate.
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Contact: Christi Fields at (505) 604-0221, or Christi_Fields@hotmail.com.
Read more: http://www.healthactionnm.org/events